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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staffPseudogout occurs when calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) crystals collect in the lining of your joint (synovium). The crystals form in the cartilage in and around your joints. It isn't clear why this occurs. Once formed, CPPD crystals migrate to the synovium and cause inflammation, which leads to the signs and symptoms of pseudogout.
Nearly half of all people 90 and older have CPPD crystals in their joints, though most don't experience signs and symptoms of pseudogout. Why some people with joint crystals experience pseudogout and others don't isn't known.
Pseudogout is a common term for a condition called calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease. In actuality, pseudogout is just one feature of this larger disease. Calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease can also cause calcification of joint cartilage (chondrocalcinosis) and joint degeneration, though you won't necessarily experience all of these manifestations.
